School of Rock Guide | Winter Garden Theatre Seating Chart

Constructed in 1896, the Winter Garden Theatre officially opened in 1911 with the production of Vera Violetta and has since become home to many iconic Broadway productions. Presently, the theatre is hosting the 2015 musical blockbuster, School of Rock. The musical is adapted from the 2003 Richard Linklater film and has been thrilling children and audiences alike since its premiere. Our Winter Garden Theatre seating chart will help you find the best seats in the theatre and make the most out of your Broadway experience.

School of Rock follows wannabe rock star Dewey Finn, who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. Upon discovering his students’ musical talents, Finn enlists his fifth-graders to form a rock group and conquer the Battle of the Bands.

Great! Now that you’re all caught up on the show’s plot, let’s begin with our Winter Garden Theatre seating chart.

30-Second Takeaway: Winter Garden Theatre

The Winter Garden Theatre has a seating capacity of 1526 seats, making it bigger than most Broadway theatres.

The seats in this theatre are divided into two primary section, orchestra and mezzanine, with additional seating available at the box and standing row.

The Winter Garden Theatre orchestra has 1000 seats, making it one of the biggest orchestra section in the Theatre District.

The elevated mezzanine, on the other hand, is decidedly smaller, with a total seat count of 486.

The remaining seats are spread across the two boxes on either side with a total count of 40, and standing room with a capacity of 33.

While the Winter Garden Theatre has been many epic musicals over the last decade, it’s currently home to the smash hit rock musical, School of Rock.

School of Rock is a multiple Tony nominated show that has found popularity amongst all age groups. Given this fact, the average occupancy rate is 75% to 80%. Thus, the best seats, i.e. front orchestra and front mezzanine, sell out fast and if you wait for the last moment to book your tickets, you’ll only get average seats.

Which Seats Offer the Best View?

Marking a difference from your regular Broadway theatre, the Winter Garden is wider than it’s longer. What that means when it comes to viewing angles is that the corner seats on either side of the theatre, across both the orchestra and the mezzanine, don’t offer a clear view of the stage.

Understandably, the middle seats of premium orchestra (A-E) are considered the best in the theatre, offering a direct, unobstructed view of the stage. The price tag for these premium orchestra seats is also the heftiest in the theatre.

While premium orchestra seats are considered the best, there are many who prefer the middle seats of the front mezzanine. Specifically, the seats 101 to 114 in rows A to C, are preferred by many given that the elevation offers an overall better look at the stage.

Which Seats/Section Offer the Best Value for Money?

While both the premium orchestra and front mezzanine seats are amongst the most expensive in the theatre, there are some value for money options available for people who aren’t willing to spend too much on their Broadway experience.

In the orchestra section, seats in the middle rows (F to O) are relatively cheaper than the premium orchestra seats while offering a good look at the stage. When it comes to the mezzanine section, the middle two sections, both odd and even numbered have good seats in rows D and E.

Navigating the Winter Garden Theatre Seating Chart

Given that the front row seats are the most expensive too, they are not an option for everyone. But that’s where the middle rows of both sections come into play. Both the orchestra and the mezzanine have decent middle row seats that offer a clean look at the stage and aren’t too heavy on the pockets!

Specifically, Rows H to P in the orchestra and Rows F to M in the mezzanine, fall in the value for money category with average ticket prices falling in the range of $80 to $150.

Winter Garden Theatre Orchestra

The orchestra section in Winter Garden Theatre is larger than your regular Broadway theatre with a total seat count of 1000. The seats are divided into three subsections segregated by aisles that run on each side of the center orchestra section.

The left orchestra seats are odd numbered and fall in the range of 1 to 39 while the right orchestra has even numbered seats that fall in the range of 2-40. The center orchestra, which is also the biggest subsection, has subsequently numbered seats falling in the range of 101 to 120. All three sections have 22 rows in total extending from A, which is closest to the stage, to V which makes for the last row.

WInter Garden Theatre Mezzanine

The Winter Garden Theatre Mezzanine section is divided into four subsections with varying seat counts, bringing the total count to 486 seats.

The corner left section is the smallest with 7 rows (A-G) and odd numbered seats in the range of 1-23. The corner right section, on the other hand, is the largest with 9 rows in total (A-I) and even numbered seats falling in the range of 2-46. The center left section is odd numbered with seats numbered between 101-139 while the center right section has even numbered seats falling in the range of 102-144.

How Far in Advance Should you Book School of Rock The Musical Tickets?

School of Rock is a fairly popular show with average theatre occupancy ranging anywhere between 75% to 80%. This means that the best seats in the house, namely premium orchestra and front mezzanine, and even the value for money seats i.e. middle orchestra and mezzanine tend to fill up pretty early.

On an average, people start booking their School of Rock Broadway tickets 2-3 weeks in advance, which means you can expect to get only average seats if you book your tickets at the last moment. We would recommend you book your tickets at least a week in advance if you want the best seats in the theatre. To that end, Headout, an online concierge for fun activities and experiences in your city, allows you to book seats up to 90 days in advance!

What are the Best Options for Buying School of Rock Broadway Tickets?

With all the technological advances we have witnessed in the last decade alone, going to the theatre to book your tickets is not the only option you have. There many other ways you can get School of Rock Broadway tickets. You can either book tickets from the official website or wait in line and get discounted TKTS tickets for School of Rock.

Alternatively, you can check out Headout and get the best price on your School of Rock Broadway tickets! Headout, is an online concierge for wonderful experiences across the globe and more often than not prices on Headout will be cheaper than those on the official website.

The process of getting your Broadway tickets on Headout is fairly simple. All you have to do is select your seat, make your payment, and show up at the theatre on the day of the experience!

How to get to the Winter Garden Theatre?

The Winter Garden Theatre is located at 1634 Broadway, West 50th St. This is very popular locality, situated at walking distance from Times Square. Given its strategic location, getting to the Winter Garden Theatre is quite easy.

If you’re planning on taking the subway, there are plenty of options for you. You can either take the C, E to 50th Street and 8th Avenue, 1,9 to 50th Street and Broadway, or N, R to 49th Street and 7th Avenue. There are also plenty of parking spaces close to the theatre. Bright Management at 354 West 52nd Street or LAZ Parking at 247 West 47th Street are good options for safe parking around Winter Garden Theatre.

What Do You Need To Know Before You Go To The Winter Garden Theatre?

The Winter Garden Theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible. While there are no steps into the theatre from the sidewalk, if there are steps, either into or within the theatre, the staff will be unable to provide assistance.

Seating is accessible to all parts of the orchestra without steps, making this section ideal for patrons who use a wheelchair. Please note that there are no steps in the designated wheelchair seating location.

School of Rock is two hours and twenty minutes long, with one intermission. Plan your restroom break accordingly.

On the mezzanine level, there are approximately two steps down per row and the entrance to the mezzanine section is behind row K.

The Winter Garden Theatre has a wheelchair accessible restroom in the orchestra level.

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